Configuration management and retrieval system for proton beam therapy system

ABSTRACT

In a complex, multi-processor software controlled system, such as proton beam therapy system (PBTS), it may be important to provide treatment configurable parameters that are easily modified by an authorized user to prepare the software controlled systems for various modes of operation. This particular invention relates to a configuration management system for the PBTS that utilizes a database to maintain data and configuration parameters and also to generate and distribute system control files that can be used by the PBTS for treatment delivery. The use of system control files reduces the adverse effects of single point failures in the database by allowing the PBTS to function independently from the database. The PBTS accesses the data, parameters, and control settings from the database through the system control files, which insures that the data and configuration parameters are accessible when and if single point failures occur with respect to the database.

RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/994,911 filed Nov. 22, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,410, and titled“CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR PROTON BEAM THERAPYSYSTEM, which is also a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/744,697 filed Dec. 22, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,244, and titled“CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM FOR PROTON BEAM THERAPYSYSTEM,” and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/438,281 filed Jan. 2, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to particle radiation therapy systems and,in particular, concerns an improved data storage system that reduces theeffects of single point failures for radiation beam therapy systems.

2. Description of the Related Art

Particle radiation therapy involves coordinating complex systems anddevices to enable targeting of specific cancerous regions of a patient.In particular, proton beam therapy utilizes one or more preciselyaligned particle streams to irradiate cancer or tumor cells. Theenergized protons disrupt targeted cells or tissue so as to effectivelyhalt the progression of the disease. In proton beam therapy, the patientshould be accurately positioned with respect to the one or more beams sothat the stream irradiates only the desired target region. Otherwise,the stream may damage other healthy cells within the patient's body.Specific alignment in this manner requires numerous control systems tomaintain accurate and precise dosage delivery to a plurality of patientsduring prescribed treatments.

As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,287, a proton treatment facility maycomprise a proton energy source, an injector, an accelerator, a beamtransport system, a switchyard, and a plurality of treatment stations soas to accommodate multiple patients. Each treatment station may comprisea plurality of treatment components such as treatment platforms, gantrystructures, and patient monitoring components. Additionally, control andmonitoring of the proton treatment facility may be directed by computerand hardware subsystems, which coordinate the activities of eachtreatment station using software configurable components.

Moreover, control system activities may include beam intensitymanagement, beam position orientation and modification, digital imagingperformance, safety condition monitoring, and various other treatmentfunctions. Together these systems form a highly complex collection ofhardware and software components. The complexity of the proton treatmentfacility may be further magnified by managing multiple treatmentstations where additional requirements for system redundancy andselective control of each treatment station is required.

The complex architecture of proton therapy systems present numerousobstacles for coordinating control of a high volume patient throughput.On a typical treatment day, prescribed treatment dosages may beconfigured for many patients using a plurality of treatment stations,whereby delivery of simultaneous treatments may effect concurrenttreatment dosages between patients. For example, each treatment stationmay require a different proton beam energy delivery, wherein the overallenergy is calculated and produced at the source, the switchyard divertsthe proper amount of proton beam energy to each treatment station, andthe multiple gantries are positioned to deliver the diverted energy tothe target regions of the patients on the treatment platforms.

To elicit the coordination control of multiple treatment stations,conventional proton beam therapy control systems use either acentralized computer system, such as a database server, or separatecomputer subsystems to localize control. The problem with a centralizedcomputer system is that, if one or more treatment components fails tofunction or goes offline, the system as a whole may shut down. Also, ifthe centralized computer fails, the treatment components may stopfunctioning because they rely on the centralized computer foroperational instructions. Unfortunately, with the high volume oftreatments to be delivered, a system shut down would be inconvenient,costly, and reduce treatment efficiency.

Some treatments may be delayed or postponed for another day, whichinconveniences everyone including the patient and the system operators.In other circumstances, a delayed or postponed treatment may degrade thetherapy provided, wherein the treatment time may need to be reduced orthe dosage modified to accommodate a larger number of treatments in areduced period of time. Additionally, delayed treatments may also incuradditional treatment costs due to extended periods of operation, wheresystem operators are paid overtime wages and the treatment deliverysystems remain operable for longer periods of time. Therefore, acentralized computer alone is not the answer due to unavoidable failuresthat may occur during treatment delivery, which may endanger somepatients.

Since patient safety is a great concern, some conventional proton beamtherapy control systems use separate computer subsystems to localizecontrol to particular treatment components. The problem with localizedcontrol is that each component requires a system operator to manuallyenter prescribed treatment and operational parameters for each patientat each treatment station. Unfortunately, the length of each treatmentwould be extended due to the additional time needed to enter prescribedparameters for each patient treatment and system operation. Also, thehigh volume of treatments to be delivered would need to be reduced toaccommodate the additional time or additional system operators wouldneed to be hired to extend the treatment day, which results inadditional operational costs.

Hence, there is a need for an improved proton beam therapy controlsystem that manages multiple treatment delivery components andcoordinates delivery of simultaneous treatments without compromisingpatient safety. There is also a need for an improved proton beam therapycontrol system that reduces the adverse effects of centralized computerfailures if one or more treatment components fails to function.Additionally, this system architecture should be able to accommodate thecomplexity associated with proton beam therapy control systems whilemaintaining an acceptable level of user interactive simplicity so as tofacilitate configuration, maintenance, and development in an efficientmanner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned needs are satisfied by a radiation beam therapysystem having a plurality of treatment devices including a radiationbeam source and a beam transport device. In one embodiment, theradiation beam therapy system comprises a database component that storessubsets of parameters associated with selected treatment devices,wherein the parameters comprise instructional information that can beused to configure the selected treatment devices for operation. Inaddition, the radiation beam therapy system comprises an interfacecomponent that allows a user to modify the subsets of parametersassociated with selected treatment devices stored in the database.Moreover, the radiation beam therapy system comprises a managementcomponent that extracts subsets of parameters from the database andgenerates data storage elements comprising the extracted subsets ofparameters in a format recognizable by the selected treatment devices,wherein the data storage elements permit configuration of the selectedtreatment devices based, at least in part, on the instructionalinformation comprised therein, the management component furtherdistributes the data storage elements to the selected treatment devicesto thereby permit the selected treatment devices to operateindependently of the database component.

In one aspect, operation of the selected treatment devices includes atreatment mode of operation. The plurality of treatment devices includesat least one of a charged particle source, an accelerator, and a beamtransport system. The source or accelerator includes a protonsynchrotron and the beam transport system includes a plurality ofsteering and focussing magnets with beam sensors distributed along anevacuated beam transport tube. The beam transport system connects to aseries of switchyards that include an array of dipole bending magnetswhich deflect the beam to any one of a plurality of beam focussing anddeflection optics leading to respective treatment locations havingrotatable gantries. Also, a beam delivery system may be located withineach rotatable gantry, which may be adapted to deliver therapeuticradiation doses to a patient lying on a treatment platform according toa specific patient treatment plan.

In another aspect, the subsets of parameters include treatment data,configuration parameters, operational parameters, and control settingsfor the selected treatment devices. The selected treatment devices aresoftware controlled instruments that require at least one of the subsetsof parameters for operation and treatment. The database componentcomprises a centralized database server, which stores configuration andoperational information, such as data, parameters, and control settings,for the selected treatment devices in a manner so as to provide easyaccess to the stored configuration and operational information, whereinparameter retrieval and modification are easily performed by thecentralized database server via requests from the interface component.The centralized database server provides configuration managementactivities, which may include record keeping and version/revisioncontrol. The management component reduces the occurrence of single pointfailures by generating appropriate data storage elements anddistributing the data storage elements to the selected treatmentdevices. The distribution of data storage elements by the managementcomponent affords the selected treatment devices operationalindependence from the database component due to the associated relianceon the data storage elements for parameter retrieval and operationalconfiguration.

In still another aspect, the radiation beam therapy system comprises atleast one communication link between the management component and theselected treatment devices so as to distribute the generated datastorage elements to the selected treatment devices. The subsets ofparameters are stored in the database component in at least one ofdatabase table structures, records, and values. The data storageelements are arranged in a consolidated information set that isrecognizable by the selected treatment devices. The consolidatedinformation set exploits the native functionality of the selectedtreatment devices in a manner such that an additional numerical orsupplemental program or application may be unnecessary for the selectedtreatment devices to recognize the configuration parameter values fromthe data storage elements. The data storage elements comprise a datatype that is stored and accessed in a file-oriented manner as issuitable for each selected treatment devices. The data storage elementscomprise a data type that is stored and accessed in an address-orientedmanner as is suitable for each selected treatment devices. The datastorage elements comprise one or more volatile or non-volatile systemcontrol files. The data storage elements comprise one or more systemcontrol files including flat files. The one or more system control filesinclude one or more flat files.

In still another aspect, the management component sends configurableparameters to each treatment device, and wherein a selected treatmentdevice retrieves usable parameters from the configurable parameters.Additionally, the management component selectively sends configurableparameters to each treatment device representing usable parameters byeach treatment device.

The aforementioned needs are also satisfied by a radiation beam therapysystem comprising a plurality of distributed functional components whoseoperation is coordinated to elicit a selected operational mode. In oneembodiment, the system comprises a database component that stores aplurality of parameters associated with the distributed functionalcomponents. In addition, the system comprises an interface componentthat allows a user to select an operational mode for which the databasecomponent identifies appropriate subsets of parameters that areassociated with the distributed functional components and generates atleast one system control file containing an appropriate subset ofparameters used to configure a selected distributed functional componentto operate in such a manner to elicit the selected operational mode.Moreover, the system comprises a control file distribution componentthat provides each of the distributed functional components with theappropriate system control file such that the functional components areable to operate substantially independently of the database componentwhile eliciting the selected operational mode.

The aforementioned needs are also satisfied by a radiation beam therapysystem comprising, in one embodiment, a plurality of treatment devicesincluding a radiation beam source and a beam transport device and adatabase that stores subsets of specific parameters associated withselected treatment devices, wherein the specific parameters comprise alogical collection of instructional information that can be used toconfigure the selected treatment devices for operation. In addition, thesystem comprises an interface that allows a user to modify the subsetsof specific parameters associated with selected treatment devices storedin the database. Moreover, the system comprises a management componentthat extracts selected subsets of specific parameters from the databaseand generates system control files comprising the extracted subsets ofspecific parameters in a format recognizable by the selected treatmentdevices, wherein the system control files permit configuration of theselected treatment devices based, at least in part, on the instructionalinformation comprised therein, the management component furtherdistributes the system control files to the selected treatment devicesto thereby permit the selected treatment devices to operateindependently of the database. Furthermore, the subsets of specificparameters comprise, for example, subsets of instrument specificparameters.

The aforementioned needs are also satisfied by a radiation beam therapysystem having a plurality of functional components including a radiationbeam source and a beam transport device. In one embodiment, the systemcomprises a database that stores subsets of configurable parametersassociated with the operation of the functional components, the databasefurther comprising an interface component that allows a user to modifythe stored subsets of configurable parameters. In addition, the systemcomprises a management component that retrieves subsets of configurableparameters associated with selected functional components from thedatabase, the management component further generating control files fromthe stored configurable parameters, and subsequently distributing thegenerated control files to the identified functional components suchthat the identified functional components can operate independently.

The aforementioned needs are also satisfied by a radiation beam therapysystem comprising, in one embodiment, at least one functional componentthat can be configured for treatment delivery via a subset ofconfigurable parameters and a database component that stores the subsetof configurable parameters as a logical collection of information, thedatabase component having a user interface that allows a user to modifythe logical collection of information. In addition, the system comprisesa management component that communicates with the database component andthe at least one functional component, wherein the management componentidentifies the subset of configurable parameters associated with the atleast one functional component, generates a first file from theidentified subset of configurable parameters, and distributes the firstfile to the at least one functional component so that, upon reception ofthe first file, the at least one functional component can extract thesubset of configurable parameters from the first file and configureitself for treatment delivery.

The aforementioned needs are also satisfied by a method for managing aplurality of distributed instruments used in treatment delivery for aradiation beam therapy system. In one embodiment, the method comprisesstoring operational instructions for each instrument within acentralized configuration management system having a database componentin which the operational instructions are maintained and selecting anoperational mode for the radiation beam therapy system and identifying asubset of operational instructions stored in the database component foreach of the distributed instruments to be used in configuring theradiation beam therapy system to function in the selected operationalmode. In addition, the method comprises generating a data storageelement for each of the distributed instruments containing the requiredoperational instructions necessary to configure each distributedinstrument to function in such a manner so as to result in the radiationbeam therapy system functioning in the selected operational mode.Moreover, the method comprises transferring the data storage element tothe distributed instruments thereby providing the necessary operationalinstructions for a selected distributed instrument to operate withoutrequiring further access to the centralized configuration managementsystem to elicit functioning of the radiation beam therapy system in thedesired operational mode.

In one aspect, generating a data storage element includes generating aplurality of data storage elements. Also, generating a data storageelement includes generating at least one flash memory element.Additionally, generating a data storage element includes generating atleast one system control file. Moreover, transferring the data storageelement to the distributed instruments includes transmitting the datastorage element to the distributed instruments.

The aforementioned needs are also satisfied by a method of configuring aradiation beam therapy system having a plurality of functionalcomponents for directing a beam to at least one of a plurality oftreatment locations. In one embodiment, the method comprises maintaininga plurality of configurable parameters in a database, the configurableparameters used to coordinate the function of the plurality offunctional components thereby eliciting operational control of theradiation beam therapy system and selecting an operational mode in whichthe beam is to be directed to a particular treatment location with adesired set of operational parameters. In addition, the method comprisesidentifying subsets of parameters from the plurality of configurableparameters maintained in the database that are used to configure andcontrol the functional components in such a manner so as to direct thebeam to the selected treatment location with the desired set ofoperational parameters. Moreover, the method comprises generating atleast one system control file which reflects the subsets of parametersused to configure and control the functional components and distributingthe at least one system control file to at least one of the plurality offunctional components thereby directing the operation of the functionalcomponents.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a clinically-based radiation beamtherapy system, such as, for example, a proton beam therapy system(PBTS), that may used in a particle radiation treatment facility.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a PBTS configuration managementsystem that may be used for accessing and maintaining PBTS configurationdata and parameters.

FIG. 3A illustrates a simplified block diagram of the PBTS treatmentdelivery system, the PBTS user interface system, and the PBTSconfiguration management system having a management component, adatabase component, and a control file component.

FIG. 3B further illustrates the PBTS configuration management systemwith functional features associated with the database component.

FIG. 3C further illustrates the management component, which may be usedby the PBTS configuration management system to identify, retrieve, andupdate configuration parameters from the database component and togenerate system control files using the control file component.

FIG. 4A illustrates one embodiment of a logical organization of theconfiguration parameters in the database component.

FIG. 4B illustrates one embodiment of configuration parameterassociations, wherein modifications to one parameter may effect otherparameters.

FIG. 4C illustrates one example of using mapping tables to generatesystem control files associated with specific treatment delivery devicesin the PBTS.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a system configuration process thatmay be used by the PBTS configuration management system to modifyparameters for the PBTS treatment delivery system.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a parameter update process that maybe used by the management component of the PBTS configuration managementsystem to update system configuration parameters used by the PBTStreatment delivery system.

FIG. 7 illustrates the advantages of using the PBTS configurationmanagement system of the present invention to manage, update, anddistribute configuration parameters for the PBTS treatment deliverysystem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In complex, multi-processor software controlled systems, it may beimportant to provide treatment configurable parameters that are easilymodified by an authorized user to prepare the software controlled systemfor various modes of operation. In one embodiment, a configurationmanagement system of the present invention provides a centralizeddatabase server, which stores configuration and operational information,such as data, parameters, and control settings, for the softwarecontrolled systems. Advantageously, the database approach provides easyaccess to the stored configuration and operational information, whereinparameter retrieval and modification are easily performed by theconfiguration management system via requests from a user interfacesystem. Additionally, the configuration management system providesconfiguration management activities, which may include record keepingand version/revision control as will be described in greater detailherein below.

In conventional treatment delivery systems, the treatment deliverycomponents access operational and configuration parameters directly fromthe database component using a single point acquisition approach. Singlepoint acquisition requires a direct dependence on the database componentfor operation and parameter retrieval via a direct communication linkbetween the treatment delivery devices and the database component. As aresult of operational dependence, if a network problem occurs and thedatabase component is offline or unavailable, then the conventionaltreatment delivery systems are forced to shut down and patienttreatments may be terminated until the database component isfunctionally online or available. Single point failures aredisadvantageous to patient health, treatment stability, and operationalefficiency.

Conversely, the present invention reduces the occurrence of single pointfailures by generating a static document, such as a flat text file,read-only file, or flash memory element, comprising operational andconfiguration parameters and distributing the static document to thetreatment delivery components. The distribution of static documentsaffords the treatment delivery components operational independence fromthe database component due to the associated reliance on the staticdocuments for parameter retrieval and operational configuration.Although a communication link may be used to distribute the generatedstatic document or system control file to the treatment deliverycomponents, operational reliance is advantageously shifted to the staticdocument. The scope and functionality of the static documents or systemcontrol files will be described in greater detail herein below.

Moreover, for ease of updating and retrieval, configuration parameters,for example, may be stored in the database table structures as recordsor values. When generating the static document or system control file,the retrieved configuration parameter values may be arranged in aconsolidated information set that is recognizable by the treatmentdelivery components. Advantageously, the consolidated information setexploits the native functionality of the treatment delivery devices in amanner such that an additional numerical or supplemental program orapplication may be unnecessary for the treatment delivery devices toparse the configuration parameter values from the static document.Moreover, the static documents or system control files provide fast,localized parameter retrieval capability and independent operationalcapabilities for the software controlled systems as will be furtherdescribed in greater detail herein below.

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals referto like parts throughout. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of aclinically-based radiation beam therapy system, such as, for example, aproton beam therapy system (PBTS) 10, that may used in a particleradiation treatment facility. In one embodiment, the proton beam therapysystem 10 may comprise a plurality of treatment delivery componentsincluding a charged particle source 11, an accelerator 12, and a beamtransport system 14. Additionally, the source/accelerator 11, 12 maycomprise, for example, a proton synchrotron and the beam transportsystem 14 may comprise, for example, a plurality of steering andfocussing magnets with beam sensors distributed along an evacuated beamtransport tube.

In one aspect, the beam transport system 14 connects to a series ofswitchyards 16 that may comprise an array of dipole bending magnetswhich deflect the beam to any one of a plurality of beam focussing anddeflection optics 26 leading to respective treatment locations havingrotatable gantries 18. Moreover, a beam delivery system 20 may belocated within each rotatable gantry 18, which may be adapted to delivertherapeutic radiation doses to a patient 24 lying on a treatmentplatform 22, according to a specific patient treatment plan. Anexemplary proton beam treatment system is more fully disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,870,287, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

In operation, charged particle beams of a predefined energy may begenerated by the proton synchrotron 12 and transported by the beamtransport system 14 to the switchyards 16. The switchyards 16 may beconfigured to select a one or more gantries 18 for transport ofradiation thereto. Each rotatable gantry 18 is capable of orienting thebeam delivery system 20 relative to the target location of the patient24. Beam orientation allows directed deposition of radiation to apredefined location along the rotation axis or a so-called isocenter.Additionally, to facilitate accurate and precise dosage delivery to oneor more of the patients 24, the beam delivery system 20 may bepositioned, configured, and calibrated for radiation delivery accordingto prescribed specifications of the patient treatment plan.

One of the central components of the proton beam therapy system 110 isthe radiation delivery system 20, designed to deliver precise dosedistributions to a target volume within a patient. In general, suchdelivery systems are comprised of components which may either modify ormonitor specific properties of a radiation beam relevant to thetreatment plan. The beam delivery system 20 may, for example, comprise adevice to spread or otherwise modify the beam position and profile, adispersive element to modify the beam energy and a plurality of beamsensors to monitor such properties. Additional disclosure relating tothe radiation delivery system 20 is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,287.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a central configuration of aparticle radiation treatment facility 50 that may be used to provideproton beam therapy treatments to patients in a manner as previouslydescribed with reference to FIG. 1. The particle radiation treatmentfacility 50 may comprise the proton beam therapy system (PBTS) 10 ofFIG. 1, a user interface system 52, and a configuration managementsystem 54 that may be used to generate one or more static documents orsystem control files 56 for the PBTS treatment delivery components 11,12, 14, 16, 18, 20 of the PBTS 10. In addition, the one or moregenerated system control files 56 may be distributed to the PBTS 10 bythe configuration management system 54 in a manner so as to provideconfiguration data and parameters in a recognizable format to the PBTStreatment delivery components 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

In one embodiment, the user interface system 52 may comprise a generallyknown computer workstation, such as a personal computer, that may beused to retrieve and modify the configuration parameters for the PBTS10. One or more users, such as system operators, field serviceengineers, medical physics personnel, facility administrators, etc., mayupdate PBTS configuration data, parameters, and/or control settings inthe configuration management system 54 via the user interface system 52.The user interface system 52 provides access to data, parameters, andcontrol settings that may be used to configure the previously mentionedPBTS treatment delivery components in the PBTS 10. The PBTS 10 may begiven access to the configuration data through the system control files56 that may be generated and provided by the configuration managementsystem 54.

It should be appreciated that there may be more than one user interfacesystem 52 to the configuration management system 54 without departingfrom the scope of the present teachings. However, for safety reasons, apreferred embodiment may comprise one designated user interface system52 to the configuration management system 54 to update configurationdata, parameters, and control settings for the PBTS treatment deliverycomponents 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 in the PBTS 10. It should beappreciated that there are configurable parameters and control settingsthat may apply to software related components as well as the hardwarerelated components. Some software and hardware components that may beconfigured through the configuration management system 54 may include,but are not limited to, power supplies, tesla meters, sensors,detectors, timing control systems, user interfaces, networkconfigurations, and safety systems.

In one embodiment, the configuration management system 54 may comprise agenerally known centralized computer system, such as a database server,that may be used to store the PBTS configuration data and parameters indatabase components, such as files, in a manner so as to be easilyretrievable by the user interface system 52 when prompted by a user.Advantageously, the manipulation of the configuration data andparameters through the configuration management system 54 allows formaintaining configuration data and parameter integrity as well asproviding an interactive interface to the user. In a manner as will bedescribed in greater detail herein below, the configuration managementsystem 54 may comprise processing and management components that may beused to verify updated parameter settings to an acceptable operationalrange. For example, if the operational range of a power supply isbetween 0 and 500 amps, then the management component verifies thatsupply output is not set less than 0 amps and greater than 500 amps.

In one embodiment, the configuration management system 54 uses a PBTSsoftware application that allows authorized users to easily access andmodify the PBTS configurable parameters while maintaining dataintegrity. The PBTS software application may be used in conjunction withcommon desktop environments on various platforms, such as those usedwith Solaris™ and X Windows™ on UNIX based platforms. In one aspect, aconfigurable parameter may comprise a piece of data or informationneeded by the PBTS 10 to configure, for example, control settings,wherein the value of the configurable parameter may vary depending onthe treatment dosage and/or environment. Some of the devices in the PBTS10 need configuration data for proper initialization. For example,magnets are configured with default output specific to their targetenergy. Moreover, other functional components of the PBTS 10, such asion source, power supplies, timing, etc., may require configurableinitialization data, scale factors, conversion factors, mapping, etc.

As will be described in greater detail herein below, the data isaccessible to the user through a graphical user interface (GUI) via theuser interface system 52, and the data is stored and maintained in adatabase component of the configuration management system 54. When anauthorized user requests a configuration update, a connection to thedatabase component is established and any modifications to the data areapplied to the database component. In addition, authorized user accountsmay be created via the user interface system 52, wherein authorizedusers comprises varying degrees of permission or access levels, whichmay be determined by administrators. For example, different types ofusers may be granted access to data related only to a specific jobfunction. Accelerator staff may be allowed to modify accelerator relatedparameters, such as magnet settings. Medical physicians may be allowedto modify treatment room related parameters, such as detectors andscattering foils. Various other users, such as field service personneland system administrators may have access to data needed to maintain thesystem.

Moreover, the database component of the PBTS configuration managementcomponent 54 may be initialized with two sets of data: treatment dataand non-treatment data. The treatment set may comprise configurationdata that has been approved for treatment operations. In most cases,there is one treatment set or one set of approved treatment data that isavailable. The non-treatment set may comprise configuration data thatmay be used for other functional operations, such as research,maintenance, and/or tuning. For the most part, authorized users are ableto retrieve and view most configurable parameters. If a user has writeaccess to a parameter, then the user is able to modify its value withinan acceptable range, which will be described in greater detail hereinbelow. However, proposed modifications related to treatment data issubject to approval by a designated administrator, wherein thedesignated administrator is responsible for patient treatment andapproving proposed modifications to the treatment data.

In one embodiment, the PBTS 10 of FIG. 1 may further comprise one ormore PBTS workstations 62 that may house the hardware and software usedto operate and control the PBTS treatment delivery components 11, 12,14, 16, 18, 20 of the PBTS 10. The PBTS workstations 62 functionindependently from the configuration management system 54 so as toprovide localized control to the PBTS 10. As previously mentioned, theuser interface system 52 is used to interact with the configurationmanagement system 54. Conversely, the PBTS workstations 62 are used tointeract with the PBTS treatment delivery components 11, 12, 14, 16, 18,20. In one embodiment, there is no direct link between the configurationmanagement system 54 and the PBTS 10. Instead, the PBTS workstations 62and/or the PBTS 10 access the PBTS configuration data, parameters, andcontrol settings from the configuration management system 54 via thesystem control files 56.

In one aspect, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatthe configuration management system 54 provides one or more systemcontrol files 56 to the treatment delivery components 11, 12, 14, 16,18, 20 of the treatment delivery system 10. Additionally, it should alsobe appreciated that the treatment delivery components 11, 12, 14, 16,18, 20 may retrieve one or more operational parameters from the systemcontrol files 56. In another aspect, it should be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that the management component is adapted to sendconfigurable parameters to each treatment device, wherein a selectedtreatment device retrieves usable parameters from the configurableparameters. Moreover, the management component is further adapted toselectively send configurable parameters to each treatment devicerepresenting usable parameters by each treatment device.

Advantageously, this particular embodiment provides a separation ofcontrol between the configuration management system 54 and the PBTSworkstations 62. Configuration data, parameters, and control settingsare more easily updated using the configuration management system 54,which offers more reliable database management and controlled parameterrevision. The generation of system control files 56 allows the PBTSworkstations 62 to access the PBTS configuration data, parameters, andcontrol settings when and if the configuration management system 54 isoffline or unavailable. Therefore, the PBTS 10 is able to operateindependently of the configuration management system 54.

During treatment delivery, the operation of the PBTS treatment deliverycomponents 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 are desirably coordinated to direct aprecisely calibrated and aligned proton beam 58 towards a specifictarget region or isocenter 60 of the patient 24. As previouslydescribed, the patient 24 is supported by the treatment platform 22 andthe gantry 18 is rotatable about an axis of rotation and is used toproperly align the proton beam 58 with respect to the patient 24 and theisocenter 60. The PBTS control system 62 monitors and coordinates theoperational activities of the hardware and software subsystems used toconfigure and direct the proton beam 58 as well as insure patientsafety. Patient safety is a primary concern in radiation treatment andstrict control over the PBTS 10 must be maintained at all times toinsure that the proton beam 58 is accurately and precisely directed withan appropriate intensity or energy level. It should be appreciated thata more in depth discussion relating to the PBTS control system 62 ismore fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,581, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

In addition, the PBTS 10 including the PBTS workstations 62 may utilizethe system control files 56 to access configuration data, parameters,and control settings from the configuration management system 54. In oneembodiment, the system control files 56 may comprise a series of stringsor characters in one or more recognizable files or formats that may beparsed by the PBTS 10, PBTS workstations 62, or the functionalcomponents 11, 12, 14, 18, 20 of the PBTS 10 to retrieve configurationdata, parameters, etc. stored in a control file format, such as, forexample, a flat file, binary file, flash memory file, etc. One advantageto using flat files is that flat files are human readable, but variousother file structures, such as binary files, may be used by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the scope or functionality ofthe present teachings. Moreover, in one aspect, the system control files56 may be delineated using a reference identifier, such as a comma,hyphen, semi-colon, etc. Alternatively, strings may be delineated usingcodes that signify tabs or new lines. Additionally, a sequentiallyoriented group of characters that are not likely to be found in therecord itself may serve as the reference identifier for string parsing.

In various embodiments, system control files 56 may be file and/oraddress oriented and stored in a variety of different formats. Forexample, a file-oriented schema may comprise a “textual document” (e.g.based on the ASCII character set) which is stored and accessed as adiscrete file using a non-volatile data storage device (e.g. a hard diskdrive, optical drive, tape drive, flash memory device, etc.). Likewise,an address-oriented schema may comprise system control file informationstored in a manner that may be accessible at selected locations within avolatile or non-volatile memory or storage device (e.g. bits/bytes ofinformation stored at a particular memory address). It will further beappreciated that the information contained in the system control filemay be represented in numerous different manners, such as for example,using binary, octal, hexadecimal, html or other datatypes/representations. These data types may be stored and accessed infile-oriented, address-oriented, or other organizational manners as issuitable for each instrument or device which is desirably configured touse the system control file information.

In certain embodiments, the system control files 56 may comprise, forexample, data files or formats stored in various types of data storageelements, such as flash memory, read-only memory, etc. As is generallyknown, programmable read-only memory (PROM) is read-only memory (ROM)that can be modified once by a user. Since PROM processes are relativelyinflexible, many PROM chips designed to be modified by users may beimplemented with erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) orelectrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), which canbe programmed, erased and reprogrammed multiple times. In addition,flash memory represents a type of non-volatile memory that can be erasedand reprogrammed in units of memory blocks. Other types of devices thatmay be used in accordance with the present teachings may includemagnetic and optical data storage formats, such as compact disks, floppydisks, tape drives, etc. Therefore, in general, it should be appreciatedthat system control files may comprise various types of data storage ormemory elements having various compositions without departing from thescope of the present invention. Moreover, the access configuration data,parameters, and control settings from the configuration managementsystem 54 may be stored on the various types of data storage or memoryelements so as to provide system control files 56 to the operational andtreatment devices 11, 12, 14, 18, 20 of the PBTS 10.

Once the configuration data, parameters, etc. are identified andretrieved from the system control file 56, the PBTS control system 62 orthe functional components 11, 12, 14, 18, 20 of the PBTS 10 may use theretrieved data, parameters, etc. to configure its functional andoperational components for delivery of treatment. It should beappreciated that the PBTS 10 may receive and interpret the PBTS systemcontrol files 56 as read-only formatted files that may comprisespreadsheets, tables, etc.

Additionally, the retrieved information may also comprise a set ofinstructions that may be used by the PBTS 10 to configure itsoperational components. Advantageously, configuration may occur withoutdepending on the processing and management components of theconfiguration management system 54 during delivery of treatment.Therefore, the operational components of the PBTS 10 may function in anindependent manner, which reduces the adverse effects of single pointfailures in the configuration management system 54. The management ofdata, parameters, and control settings by the configuration managementsystem 54 allows for preserving data integrity as well as insuring noduplication of data. For example, data integrity may be preserved withautomatic backup, wherein the configuration management system 54archives backup files comprising copied configuration data, parameters,etc. in a separate storage component without consent from a user. Inaddition, controlled access to configuration data, parameters, etc.allows the configuration management system 54 to prioritize multipleupdates according pre-determined criteria so as to substantially avoidthe duplication of configuration data, parameters, etc. Moreover, thePBTS 10 accesses the data, parameters, and control settings from thesystem control files 56, which insures that the configuration data,parameters, etc. are accessible when and if a single point failuresoccurs with respect to the configuration management system 54.

For example, configuration of the PBTS 10 may include setting protonenergy source 11, the accelerator 12, and the beam transport 14 todeliver a prescribed proton beam 58 to the switchyard 16. In addition,configuration of the PBTS 10 may also include setting the switchyard 16to direct the prescribed proton beam 60 to a specific treatment stationand the corresponding gantry 18 to orient the proton beam 60 towards aspecific isocenter 60 on the patient 24. Moreover, configuration data,parameters, etc. may further include length of treatment delivery,energy strength of the proton beam, duration of radiation dosage, andradiating multiple treatment areas on the patient. It is critical topatient safety that the configuration data, parameters, etc. stored inthe system control files 56 is locally accessible so that, if theconfiguration management system 54 goes off line for some reason, thePBTS 10 and its components may remain functional. Advantageously,generation and distribution of system control files 56 to the PBTStreatments delivery system 10 and its components by the configurationmanagement system 54 offers control separation so that the PBTS 10 andits components rely less on the configuration management system 54 todeliver treatments to patients.

In general, it should be appreciated that the PBTS control system 62 andthe processing components of the configuration management system 54 maycomprise, by way of example, computers, program logic, or othersubstrate configurations representing data and instructions, whichoperate as described herein. In various other embodiments, the PBTScontrol system 58 and the processing and management components of theconfiguration management system 54 may comprise controller circuitry,processor circuitry, processors, general purpose single-chip ormulti-chip microprocessors, digital signal processors, embeddedmicroprocessors, microcontrollers and the like. Additionally, it will beappreciated that in one embodiment, the program logic may be implementedas one or more components, wherein the components may be configured toexecute on one or more processors. The components may include, but arenot limited to, software or hardware components, modules such assoftware modules, object-oriented software components, class componentsand task components, processes methods, functions, attributes,procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware,micro-code, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays,and variables.

In one aspect, the configuration management system 54 may be implementedusing applications designed for relational database development andimplementation. It is further recognized that the configurationmanagement system 54 may be implemented as spreadsheet or a singledatabase with separate tables or as other data structures that are wellknown in the art such as linked lists, binary trees, and so forth. Also,the configuration management system 54 may be implemented as a pluralityof databases which are collectively administered. It should also beappreciated that the structure and schema of the configurationmanagement system 54 may be altered, as needed, to implement therelations or associations utilized to organize and categorize theinformation in the configuration management system 54.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate various functional embodiments of the PBTS 10 ofFIGS. 1, 2 and the configuration management system 54 of FIG. 2. Forease of discussion, FIG. 3A illustrates a simplified block diagram ofthe user interface system 52, the configuration management system 54,and the treatment delivery system 10. In this particular embodiment, theconfiguration management system 54 may comprise a management component70, a database component 72, and a control file component 74 that arefunctionally interconnected so as to manage, update, and distribute PBTSconfiguration data, parameters, and control settings for the PBTS 10.The PBTS database system components 70, 72, 74 may comprise hardwareand/or software subsystems that may be adapted for specificfunctionality with respect to the PBTS 10.

Advantageously, the use of system control files as described hereinreduces the occurrence of single point failures by generating a staticdocument, such as, for example, a flat file, binary file, flash memoryfile, etc., comprising operational and configuration parameters and thendistributing the static document to the treatment delivery components.In addition, the distribution of system control files allows thetreatment delivery components operational independence from the databasecomponent due to the associated reliance on the system control files foroperation and parameter retrieval. In one aspect, although acommunication link may be used to distribute the generated systemcontrol file or static document to one or more of the treatment deliverycomponents, operational reliance may be shifted to the distributedsystem control file or static document.

For ease of updating and retrieval, configuration parameters, forexample, may be stored in the database table structures as records orvalues. When generating the static document or control file, theretrieved configuration parameter values may be arranged in aconsolidated information set that is recognizable by the treatmentdelivery components. Advantageously, the consolidated information setexploits the native functionality of the treatment delivery devices in amanner such that an additional numerical or supplemental program orapplication is unnecessary for the treatment delivery devices to parsethe configuration parameter values from the static document. The scopeand functionality of these processes will be more fully described ingreater detail herein below.

In one embodiment, when parameter modifications have been requested, thetreatment delivery system 10 receives periodic parameter updates in theform of electronic control files from the configuration managementsystem 54 via, for example, a communication network, such as anEthernet, intranet, or internet communication system. In somecircumstances, the treatment delivery components may send request to theconfiguration management system inquiring whether parameter updates areavailable. As will be in greater detail below, the parameter updates aresent to the treatment delivery system in a recognizable format that iseasily identified by the treatment delivery components of the system.

FIG. 3B further illustrates the configuration management system 54 ofFIGS. 2, 3A with additional functional features associated with thedatabase component 72. Configuration and operational parameters 80, suchas data, information, and control settings, may be stored in thedatabase component 72 of the configuration management system 54 asdatabase files in a generally known manner. For example, each PBTStreatment delivery component 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 of the PBTS 10 mayhave its own set of parameters 80 related to configuration andoperation. A relational association may be established in the databasecomponent 72 between the particular PBTS treatment delivery component11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and its own set of parameters 80 from 1 to N.These parameters 80 may be searched for, retrieved, sorted, and editedby the management component 70 in a generally known manner so as toproduce parameter update files 82 whenever an authorized user requests aparameter update via the user interface system 52. The process ofupdating parameters will be described in greater detail herein below.

In one embodiment, the configuration data and parameters are maintainedin sets. The database component 72 is responsible for maintainingapproved, current, and proposed sets of configuration data andparameters. An approved set may comprise the set of parameterconfigurations that are acceptable for allowing treatments to proceed.Preferably, for safety reasons, there is only one approved set ofconfiguration parameters at any one time. A current set may comprise theset of parameter configurations that the PBTS 10 is currently beingconfigured with, which may or may not be permissible for treatments. Thecurrent set may be one of a plurality of configuration sets stored inthe database component 72. A proposed set may comprise a set ofparameter configurations waiting approval from a system administratorbefore it can be used for treatments.

As illustrated in FIG. 3C, the management component 70 may be used bythe configuration management system 54 to identify, retrieve, and updateconfiguration parameters from the database component 72 and to generatesystem control files 56 using the control file component 74. Aftergenerating the system control files 56, the management component 70subsequently distributes the system control files 56 a, 56 b, 56 c, 56d, 56 e to the corresponding PBTS treatment delivery systems 10 a, 10 b,10 c, 10 d, 10 e of the PBTS 10, which may include beam control systems10 a, safety systems 10 b, power systems 10 c, logging systems 10 d, andvarious additional systems 10 e. Beam control systems 10 a may includethe beam transport 14, the switchyard, the gantry 18 and the beamdelivery system 20. Power systems 10 c may include the proton energysource 11 and the accelerator 12.

The database component 72 may function in the capacity of generallyknown memory devices, such as hard drives, compact discs, removablestorage media, tape drives, flash memory, optical devices, integratedcircuitry, etc., wherein the parameter information may easily stored,altered, and retrieved by the user interface system 52. The control filecomponent 74 may function as relational translator that interpretsdatabase language formats into control file language formats so thatconfiguration parameters stored in the database may translated intorecognizable operational parameters for the functional components of thePBTS 10.

In a complex, multi-processor software controlled system, such as thePBTS 10, it may be important to provide treatment configurableparameters that are easily modified by an authorized user to prepare thesoftware controlled system for various modes of operation, such asmodifying parameter tolerance, user access, access levels, debug output,etc. In most cases, configuration parameters are loaded by executionsoftware of the PBTS 10 in a safe and timely manner. Moreover, the PBTS10 often involves multiple modes of operation (treatment, research,commissioning), multiple configuration setups (passive beam delivery,active beam delivery), and multiple patient setups. In addition, theremay be more than one person who has authorized access to modify data andparameter sets.

In one embodiment, the configuration management system 54 provides acentralized database server, which stores configuration and operationalinformation, such as data, parameters, and control settings, for thesoftware controlled PBTS 10. In one embodiment, parameter modificationand parameter retrieval are performed by the configuration managementsystem 54 via requests from the user interface system 52. Moreover, theconfiguration management system 54 provides configuration managementactivities, which may include record keeping (i.e., who, when, and whymodified certain parameter, has a parameter been approved for a certainmode), providing backup of the data, and version/revision control.Additionally, configuration data and parameters may be temporarilychanged in a manner such that, after a designated time period, newlymodified values of configuration data and parameters may revert back topreviously stored values. Reversion to previous data, parameters, etc.may also occur after the system control files 56 are generated.

In one aspect, modifying data and parameters may be subject to approvalby an administrator, which helps to maintain data integrity and insureproper treatment dosages and delivery. The system administrator mayeither approve, reject, or institute a time limit for the modificationavailability. In some cases, if duplicate modification requests arerequested by one or more authorized users and the system administratorapproves all pending modification requests, then the latest modificationrequest may override all other requests. In other cases, a time outperiod indicates that the system administrator is approving a proposedmodification but only for a limited amount of time. In this particularsituation, once the specified date and/or time have elapsed, theprevious value of the data or parameter prior to the modificationrequest will be reinstated.

Advantageously, the configuration management system 54 comprises thecapability to generate system control files 56 to substantially avoidproblematic situations that may occur during operation of the PBTS 10.Network problems and single-point failures may occur as the result of anunexpected shutdown and/or an emergence of a corrupted file. The systemcontrol files 56 may comprise various types of control files, such as,for example, flat files, binary files, flash memory files, etc., thatprovide fast, localized parameter retrieval capability and independentoperational capabilities for the PBTS 10. In one aspect, modifyingconfiguration data and parameters during treatments may adversely affectthe treatment delivery. Therefore, for safety reasons, system controlfiles 56 are preferably generated between treatments.

Additionally, the configuration management system 54 comprises aninformation management and retrieval system with adequate configurationmanagement capabilities and fast, safe, and localized parameterretrieval. For example, the configuration management system 54 utilizesthe management component 70 in conjunction with the database component72 to provide restricted access to parameter modification, whereinauthorized users are allowed to revise configuration data, parameters,etc. and unauthorized users are not granted access to the configurationdata, parameters, etc. In addition, the configuration management system54 uses the management component 70 in conjunction with the control filecomponent 74 to generate the system control files 56 from parameterfiles 80, 82 for distribution of configuration parameters to the PBTS10.

In one aspect, on a periodic basis or when a parameter has been modifiedeither temporarily or permanently, the configuration management system54 may generate system control files 56 from the parameter files 80, 82,substantially insuring that proper syntax has been followed duringgeneration. For example, the management component 70 has access to theprogramming language used by each of the treatment delivery componentsin the PBTS 10. In one aspect, proper syntax may comprise using aspecific set of rules prescribed by the programming language to combineinstructional elements into permitted constructions that will berecognizable to the designated treatment delivery component. Propersyntax may also refer to a systematic arrangement of data andinstructions that may be easily parsed from the system control files 56by the designated treatment delivery component. Moreover, the generatedsystem control files 56 are then placed in the appropriate directoriesassociated with the functional components of the PBTS 10. In addition,execution software used by the functional components of the PBTS 10retrieves the appropriate system control file 56 and loads the requestedconfiguration parameters for treatment delivery.

FIG. 4A illustrates one embodiment of a logical organization of aplurality of configuration parameter values 80 in the database component72. As previously described, there are a significant number ofconfiguration parameter values 80 that may be applied to each PBTStreatment delivery component in the PBTS 10. Tracking the configurationparameter values for PBTS treatment delivery components can be highlycomplex and cumbersome. Therefore, the management component 70 may beused to map parameters to specific treatment delivery components in thePBTS 10 using a plurality of mapping tables 74. In the databasecomponent 72, the mapping tables 74 comprising deployment labels 76 a,76 b, 76 c to lookup keys 78 may be created to identify and retrieveconfiguration parameter values 80 to thereby generate a plurality ofsystem control files 86. In one aspect, the lookup keys 78 identifywhere the data and parameter values 80 can be located within thedatabase component 72, wherein each deployment label 76 points to aspecific lookup key 78 where the data or parameter values 80 can befound in the database component 72.

For example, a first treatment delivery component of the PBTS 10 may bemapped to a first mapping table 74 a comprising a first set ofdeployment labels 76 a. A second treatment delivery component of thePBTS 10 may be mapped to a second mapping table 74 b comprising a secondset of deployment labels 76 b. A third treatment delivery component ofthe PBTS 10 may be mapped to a third mapping table 74 c comprising athird set of deployment labels 76 c. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, thefirst set of deployment labels 76 a may point to lookup keys A, C, andE, (78) which may further point to configuration parameter values V1,V2, and V5 (80). The second set of deployment labels 76 b may point tolookup keys B and E (78), which may further point to configurationparameter values V2 and V5 (80). The third set of deployment labels 76 cmay point to lookup keys A, D, E, and F (78), which may further point toconfiguration parameter values V1, V4, V5, and V6 (80).

For the most part, parameter referencing, as indicated in FIG. 4A with adashed line, takes place in the database component 72 in a generallyknown manner. In one aspect, once the configuration parameter values 80have been identified and retrieved, the configuration parameter values80 may be subsequently imported, as illustrated in FIG. 4A with a solidline, into the system control files 86 for distribution to thecorresponding PBTS treatment delivery component in the PBTS 10. Forexample, the first mapping table 74 a may be used to generate anddistribute a first system control file 86 a to the first treatmentdelivery component of the PBTS 10. The second mapping table 74 b may beused to generate and distribute a second system control file 86 b to thesecond treatment delivery component of the PBTS 10. The third mappingtable 74 c may be used to generate and distribute a third system controlfile 86 c to the third treatment delivery component of the PBTS 10.

It should be appreciated that the order in which the parameter valuesare retrieved may vary and may depend on the specific order in which thedesignated treatment delivery component parses the information from thecontrol file. It should also be appreciated that any number of controlfile generation techniques may be used by one skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

As previously described, treatment parameter values may need to beupdated to reflect new treatment dosages, etc. Therefore, once theconfiguration parameter values 80 have been identified and located inthe database component 72, the configuration parameters values 80 may bereplaced or revised with updated configuration parameters values 82. Itshould be appreciated that storing data and information is generallyknown in the art and any of a number of generally known storage methodsmay be used to store the updated configuration parameters values 80 inthe database component 72.

FIG. 4B illustrates one embodiment of a logical organization ofconfiguration parameter associations 94. User input modifications 90 tospecific configuration parameters may effect other dependentconfiguration parameters in a manner such that the dependentconfiguration parameter values may need to be re-calculated. In oneaspect, a plurality referential locations 92 may be used to identify aplurality of parameter associations 94 corresponding to the userinputted modifications 90. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, afirst input modification 90 a to a first configuration parameter valueV1 referenced by lookup key A may point to a first referential location92 a, which may further point to a first and second parameterassociation 94 a, 94 b. Since V1 has been modified by the user, thedatabase component 72 locates the configuration parameter values V4 andV6 associated with the lookup keys D and F. Subsequently, theconfiguration parameter values V4 and V6 may then be re-calculatedaccording to a specified function, such as V4=V4+V1 and V6=V6+V1. Itshould be appreciated that the re-calculation function may varydepending on a particular application without departing from the scopeof the present invention.

Similarly, in another example, a second input modification 90 a to asecond configuration parameter value V2 referenced by lookup key B maypoint to a second referential location 92 b, which may further point toa third parameter association 94 c. Since V2 has been modified by theuser, the database component 72 locates the configuration parametervalue V1 associated with the lookup key A. Subsequently, theconfiguration parameter value V1 may then be re-calculated according toa specified function, such as V1=V1+V2. In addition, a third inputmodification 90 c to a third configuration parameter value V3 referencedby lookup key C may point to a third referential location 92 c, whichmay further point to a fourth, fifth, and sixth parameter association 94d, 94 e, 94 f. Since V3 has been modified by the user, the databasecomponent 72 locates the configuration parameter values V2, V5, and V6associated with the lookup keys B, E, and F. Subsequently, theconfiguration parameter values V2, V5, and V6 may then be re-calculatedaccording to a specified function, such as V2=V2+V3, V5=V5+V3, andV6=V6+V3.

It should be appreciated that the order in which the configurationparameter values are re-calculated may vary depending on specificapplication priorities established by the user. As previously mentioned,the most recent modification may be given priority over pastmodifications or priority may be established by a configurationadministrator. It should also be appreciated that any number ofparameter association techniques may be used by one skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 4C illustrates one example of using mapping tables 74 to generatesystem control files 86 associated with specific treatment deliverydevices in the PBTS 10. In one embodiment, the mapping tables 74comprise records and keys for maintaining the data as well as the actualparameters and their associated attributes. As previously described, theconfiguration management system 54 uses input data from authorized usersvia the user interface device 52 to manipulate or modify theconfiguration data, parameters, etc. in the database component 72. Thisdata is made available to the treatment delivery components and devicesin the PBTS 10 as a mapping from the tables to text based control files86. For example, the power supply in the PBTS 10 may be used to energizeone or more magnets in order to reach the desired energy and control thebeam in a generally known manner. There are different types of powersupplies and each type of power supply may be configured differently. Asa result, the configuration parameters associated with the powersupplies may be stored in the database component 72.

As illustrated in FIG. 4C, the configuration parameters may be stored,for example, in the database component 72 using tables. In one aspect,the tables hold information that is used to look up and maintain theparameters and their values in a manner as previously described withreference to FIGS. 4A, 4B and as illustrated herein below.

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In one embodiment, the management component 70 of the configurationmanagement system 54 uses the database component 72 to select necessaryparameter values 80 and further uses the control file component 74 towrite the parameter values 80 to control files 86. As a result, theconfiguration parameter values in control file form 86 are available forretrieval by the designated treatment delivery components of the PBTS10.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, the database component 72 maycomprise a mapping table 74 for the power supply. The power supplymapping table 74 comprises deployment labels that point to one or morelookup keys 78 which further point to configuration parameter values 80associated with the power supply. These configuration parameter values80 for the power supply may be imported into a control file 86 fordistribution to the power supply component of the PBTS 10. In anotherexample, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, the database component 72 mayfurther comprise a mapping table 74 for a timing system. The timingsystem mapping table 74 comprises deployment labels that point to one ormore lookup keys 78 which further point to configuration parametervalues 80 associated with the timing system. These configurationparameter values 80 for the timing system may be imported into a controlfile 86 for distribution to the timing system component of the PBTS 10.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a system configuration process 100that may be used by the configuration management system 54 to modifyparameters for the PBTS 10. The database component 72 of the PBTSconfiguration management component 54 is used to maintain and preservethe integrity of configuration data, parameters, etc. in a manner so asto avoid duplicating configuration settings. In addition, the storedconfiguration data, parameters, etc. may be easily retrieved, modified,and archived so that configuration parameters may be updated in a moreefficient manner.

The system configuration process 100 initiates in a start state 102 andthen advances to a state 104 where a user may request a parameter updatevia the user interface system 52. In one embodiment, the user enters newsystem configuration parameters into the user interface system 52 via acomputer workstation, and the requested parameter update having the newsystem configuration parameters is electronically sent to theconfiguration management system 54 for evaluation. Subsequently, uponreceiving the requested parameter update, the management component 70 ofthe configuration management system 54 runs through a PBTS system checkthat compares the new system configuration parameters to a tolerancerange of values. For example, if the operational range of a power supplyis between 0 and 500 amps, then the management component 70 verifiesthat the new system configuration parameter for the power supply is notset less than 0 amps and greater than 500 amps.

In a decision state 108, if one or more of the new system configurationparameters in the requested parameter update are out of tolerance range,then the prior database settings for the prior system configurationparameters are preserved and the user is notified in a state 114 and theprocess 100 subsequently terminates in an end state 116. Otherwise, inthe decision state 108, if the new configuration parameters in therequested parameter update fall with the pre-determined tolerance rangesthen the process 100 proceeds to a state 112 where the managementcomponent 70 of the configuration management system 54 performs aparameter update as described in greater detail herein below withreference to FIG. 6. Once the system configuration parameters in thedatabase component 72 of the configuration management system 54 havebeen updated to the new system configuration parameters in the requestedparameter update, the user is notified in the state 114, and the process100 terminates in the end state 116.

As previously described, in a complex, multi-processor softwarecontrolled system, such as the PBTS 10, it may be important to providetreatment configurable parameters that are easily modified by anauthorized user to prepare the software controlled system for variousmodes of operation. Advantageously, the configuration management system54 provides a centralized database, which efficiently storesconfiguration data, parameters, etc., for the software controlled PBTS10. Also, parameter modification and parameter retrieval may beefficiently performed by the configuration management system 54 viarequests from the user interface system 52.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a parameter update process 140 thatmay be used by the management component 70 of the configurationmanagement system 54 to update system configuration parameters used bythe PBTS 10. The updated parameters are easily identified and retrievedfrom the database files and then converted to control files fordistribution to the PBTS 10. Generation and distribution of systemcontrol files 56 to the PBTS treatments delivery system 10 and itscomponents by the configuration management system 54 offers controlseparation so that the PBTS 10 and its components rely less on theconfiguration management system 54 to deliver treatments to patients.For ease of discussion, FIG. 3B will be referenced in conjunction withFIG. 6.

The parameter update process 140 initiates in a start state 142 andproceeds to a state 144 where the management component 70 of theconfiguration management system 54 identifies the parameters 80associated with the requested parameter update 82 in the databasecomponent 72. In a state 146, the new system configuration parameters inthe requested parameter update 82 are temporarily stored in the databasecomponent of the configuration management system 54 while waitingapproval from a system administrator.

After modification approval is granted, either the requested parameterupdate 82 is stored in a permanent manner so as to replace the previousparameters 80 with the parameter update 82, or the requested parameterupdate 82 is used to generate system control files 56 for a specifictreatment and the previous parameters 80 are maintained in the databasecomponent 72. By temporarily storing the parameter update 82,duplication of data does not occur, and the previous parameters 80 arenot lost. A temporary parameter update 82 will have a specified timeperiod for expiration in a manner as previously described. This allowsfor increased treatment flexibility in that treatment dosages can varyfor each treatment delivery without losing prior configurationparameters.

Next, in a state 148, the management component 70 uses the control filecomponent 74 to generate the system control file 56 with the new systemconfiguration parameters from the requested parameter update 82. In oneembodiment, the management component 70 retrieves configurationparameters from the database component 72 and queues the parametervalues in a string by separating each value with a delimiter. In oneaspect, the control file component 74 has prior knowledge of the orderin which the parameter values will be parsed by the designatedfunctional component of the PBTS 10. Hence, the management component 70uses the control file component 74 to track the placement of eachparameter value in the queue so that the system control file 56 will beappropriately generated with the correct parsing order.

Optionally, the management component 70 may then calculate and updatethe checksum, which checks the generated system control file 56 forerrors. In one aspect, generated system control files 56 providechecksum mechanisms to verify that generated data is current andup-to-date. When the system control files 56 are generated, themanagement component 70 uses a checksum algorithm to allow the detectionof file corruption. The checksum method is a common form of detectingcorruption in network transfer of data packets. The sending processappends a checksum to the end of the packet that the receiver uses toconfirm the packet is not corrupted. There are many checksum algorithmsout there. They basically take the information in the packet/file andperform mathematical operations and/or logical operations (bit shifting,bit twiddling, etc.) to “sum” the packet/file. The receiving processuses the same algorithm on the data and compares it to the checksum. Ifthey match, there is no data corruption. Following, the configurationmanagement system 54 establishes communication with PBTS 10 anddistributes the generated system control file 56 to the appropriatefunctional component of the PBTS 10. Subsequently, the parameter updateprocess 140 terminates in an end state 154.

Advantageously, the PBTS 10 or its operational components accesses thedata, parameters, etc. through the system control files 56. Thissubstantially insures that the data, parameter, etc. may be accessibleeven when and if a single point failures occurs with respect to theconfiguration management system 54. In addition, configuration of thePBTS 10 or its operational components may be achieved without dependingon the configuration management system 54 during treatment delivery.Therefore, the PBTS 10 and its operational components may function in anindependent manner, which reduces the adverse effects of single pointfailures in the configuration management system 54.

FIG. 7 illustrates the advantages of using the configuration managementsystem 54 of the present invention to manage, update, and distributeconfiguration parameters for the PBTS 10. Advantageously, theconfiguration management system 54, as described herein, utilizes thepositive characteristics of both database oriented file managementsystems and control files configuration systems.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, with reference to the database managementsystems, the configuration management system 54 provides controlledaccess to configuration information, such as authentication and logging,parameter range verification before parameter is read by the PBTS 10,operational mode separation in configuration parameters, automatedbackup, and data integrity. In addition, the database management systemmay further provide revision control for a single parameter, parametermodification expiration date management, and report generationcapabilities to insure the proper syntax, data integrity of the systemcontrol files.

As further illustrated in FIG. 7, with reference to the control fileconfiguration systems, the configuration management system 54 providesfast access to configuration parameters in system control files, whichmay take less time to access a file than accessing a field in thedatabase, and provides localized access to configuration parameters withhigher reliability, which substantially insures that parameterinformation is accessible in case of database server or networkinterruptions and/or failures. Additionally, the control fileconfiguration system may further provide configuration information in anarchived or read-only format to the user, administrator, and/or systemoperator. It should be appreciated that the configuration managementsystem 54 may be added on or to existing control files configurationsystems in various currently used medical devices by one skilled in theart without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has shown,described, and pointed out the fundamental novel features of theinvention as applied to this particular embodiment, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the formof the detail of the device illustrated may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to theforegoing description, but should be defined by the appending claims.

1. A radiation beam therapy system comprising: an assembly of treatmentdevices, including: a charged-particle accelerator that provides a beamof energetic charged particles; a treatment station that allowspositioning of a patient to receive at least a portion of the beam ofcharged particles; and a beam delivery system that delivers the beam ofcharged particles to the patient positioned at the treatment location; adatabase component that stores subsets of parameters associated withselected treatment devices, wherein the parameters compriseinstructional information that can be used to configure the selectedtreatment devices for operation; an interface component that allows auser to modify the subsets of parameters associated with selectedtreatment devices stored in the database wherein the system isconfigured so that changes to the stored subsets of parameters in thedatabase component can only be made through the interface component; anda management component that extracts subsets of parameters from thedatabase and generates data storage elements comprising the extractedsubsets of parameters in a format recognizable by the selected treatmentdevices, wherein the data storage elements permit configuration of theselected treatment devices based, at least in part, on the instructionalinformation comprised therein, the management component furtherdistributes the data storage elements to the selected treatment devicesto thereby permit the selected treatment devices to operateindependently of the database component.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the beam of charged particles comprises a beam of protons. 3.The system of claim 2, wherein the treatment station comprises arotatable gantry that allows delivery of the beam of protons to thepositioned patient from a plurality of angles.
 4. The system of claim 1,wherein the subsets of parameters include treatment data, configurationparameters, operational parameters, and control settings for theselected treatment devices.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein theselected treatment devices are software controlled instruments thatrequire at least one of the subsets of parameters for operation andtreatment.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the database componentcomprises a centralized database server, which stores configuration andoperational information, such as data, parameters, and control settings,for the selected treatment devices in a manner so as to provide easyaccess to the stored configuration and operational information, whereinparameter retrieval and modification are easily performed by thecentralized database server via requests from the interface component.7. The system of claim 6, wherein the centralized database serverprovides configuration management activities, which includes recordkeeping and version/revision control.
 8. The system of claim 1, whereinthe interface component only permits changes to the stored parametersduring time periods when the management component is not extractingsubsets of parameters from the database and distributing such extractedparameters to the selected treatment devices.
 9. The system of claim 1,wherein the management component reduces the occurrence of single pointfailures by generating appropriate data storage elements anddistributing the data storage elements to the selected treatmentdevices.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the distribution of datastorage elements by the management component affords the selectedtreatment devices operational independence from the database componentdue to the associated reliance on the data storage elements forparameter retrieval and operational configuration.
 11. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising at least one communication link between themanagement component and the selected treatment devices so as todistribute the generated data storage elements to the selected treatmentdevices.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the subsets of parametersare stored in the database component in at least one of database tablestructures, records, and values.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein thedata storage elements are arranged in a consolidated information setthat is recognizable by the selected treatment devices.
 14. The systemof claim 13, wherein the consolidated information set exploits thenative functionality of the selected treatment devices in a manner suchthat an additional numerical or supplemental program or application isunnecessary for the selected treatment devices to recognize theconfiguration parameter values from the data storage elements.
 15. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the data storage elements comprise a datatype that is stored and accessed in a file-oriented manner as issuitable for each selected treatment devices.
 16. The system of claim 1,wherein the data storage elements comprise a data type that is storedand accessed in an address-oriented manner as is suitable for eachselected treatment devices.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the datastorage elements comprise one or more volatile or non-volatile systemcontrol files.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storageelements comprise one or more system control files.
 19. The system ofclaim 18, wherein the one or more system control files include one ormore flat files.
 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the managementcomponent sends configurable parameters to each treatment device, andwherein a selected treatment device retrieves usable parameters from theconfigurable parameters.
 21. The system of claim 1, wherein themanagement component selectively sends configurable parameters to eachtreatment device representing usable parameters by each treatmentdevice.
 22. A radiation beam therapy system comprising: a plurality ofdistributed functional components that operate to provide a radiationbeam to a patient; a database component that stores a plurality ofparameters associated with the distributed functional components, aninterface component that allows a user to select an operational mode forwhich the database component identifies appropriate subsets ofparameters that are associated with the distributed functionalcomponents and generates at least one system control file containing anappropriate subset of parameters used to configure a selecteddistributed functional component to operate in a selected manner whereinthe subsets of parameters can only be changed via the interfacecomponent; and a control file distribution component that provides eachof the distributed functional components with the appropriate systemcontrol file such that the functional components are able to operatesubstantially independently of the database component to thereby reducethe likelihood of a single point failure of the radiation beam therapysystem and wherein changes to the subsets of parameters can only be madewhen system control files are not being distributed.
 23. The system ofclaim 22, wherein the distributed functional components are softwarecontrolled instruments that require at least one of the plurality ofparameters for operation.